Clothes washing machine



A ril 1'6, 1963 sue AKE GosTA SVENSSON 3,035,420

CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 4, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 1

o INVENTOR 5229 14.6. 5vemss0/z ,MJ W

ATTORNEYS April 16, 1963 STIG AKE GOSTA SVENSSON 3,035,420

CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 4, 1960 6 SheetsSheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

April 16, 1963 STlG AKE GOSTA SVENSSON 3,

CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 4, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 5H9 199. 1 6/755 BYM HWIFW YWJ- April 16, 1963 s-na AKE GOsTA SVENSSON 3,085,420

CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 4, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 0 INVENTOR. 55/9 6- $vensspn gym, I FM April 16, 1963 STIG AKE sOsTA SVENSSON 3,085,420

CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE Filed Oct. 4, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. 57,1 57. 9 Sim/7550f;

A ril 16, 1963 STIG AKE cabs-m SVENSSON 3,035,420

CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed'Oct. 4, 1960 & mfiF m5 9 m a B United States Patent 3,035,420 CLOTHES WASHING MACHZNE Stig like Giista Svcnsson, Sodertalie, Sweden, assignor to Aktieholaget Separator, Stockholm, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Oct. 4, 1960, Ser. No. 60,426 Claims priority, application Sweden Oct. 8, 195% 7 Claims. (Cl. 63-173) This invention relates to clothes Washing machines and more particularly to an improved washing machine of the type having a rotary container or cylinder for receiving the washing liquid and the clothes to be washed.

Among all washing machine principles previously known, the principle embodied in the so-called cylinder washing machines is definitely superior to the others. This gives a gentle but still efficient washing and provides the most uniform washing treatment possible, and it has a good operating economy because of its small requirements of water, from which follows a low consumption of heat as well as of detergent.

Cylinder washing machines of conventional design are relatively costly to manufacture because they comprise two containers one of which, arranged inside the other and perforated, is especially difficult and costly to manufacture. Consequently, a great market has been obtained for household-type clothes washing machines which in every respect are inferior to the cylinder washing machines but are cheaper than the latter in manufacture, because they consist of only one stationary container in which the washing liquid and the clothes are set in motion with a paddle-like rotational body or agitator which rotates continuously in one direction or back and forth. The greatest drawbacks with these cheaper washing machines are that the clothes twist during the washing, making it diflicult to withdraw them from the machine, and that these machines work with a very great water factor (the quantity of water in relation to the quantity of clothes to be washed), thereby requiring more heat for heating the water and more washing material.

To overcome these drawback but maintain the advantages of the cylinder washing machines, a washing machine according to the present invention has a rotatably mounted, unperforated container adapted to receive washing liquid and clothes to be washed and provided with a liquid outlet, driving mechanism for rotating the container alternately in first one direction and then the opposite direction about its axis within an angle of turning which is less than 360, a liquid discharge pipe secured to the machine frame, and flexible means secured to the container and through which its liquid outlet is connected to the liquid discharge pipe, such flexible means following and thereby accommodating the alternating rotations of the container. If desired, a heating device is mounted in the container for heating the liquid therein, and a flexible operative connection is provided which extends from outside the container through the wall thereof to the heating device for operating it, this flexible connec tion also accommodating the alternating rotation of th container.

According to an especially advantageous embodiment of the washing machine of the invention, the axis of rotation of the container forms an acute angle, such as 45, to a horizontal plane, and the container is rotatably mounted at its lower end and has an open upper end serving as a refilling opening.

The new washing machine according to the invention embodies a new principle in that its container rotates forward and backward through an angle which is less than 360 so that the clothes will never have any tendency to twist, which may occur when the container rotates 'ice more than one revolution. The clothes will remain freely suspended in the water and are thus better washed and rinsed in the water than if they had any tendency to twist. At the same time, the advantage is gained that means for feed and discharge of liquid to and from the container, as well as cable connections to any heating device in the container, may pass liquid-tightly through the wall of the container and be joined to fixed points on a casing enclosing the container. The container may be easily evacuated from its lowermost point without it being necessary for the evacuating liquid to pass through the axis of the container, which has hitherto been necessary in rotary, unperforated containers. Any heating device, if placed in the container, may be rigidly secured in it and follow its motion, whereby a simplified design is provided.

In the embodiment where the unpcrforated container has its rotation axis inclined in relation to the horizontal plane, the further advantage is gained that the container can be filled to more than with liquid and clothes and operate satisfactorily even though the container has no tight cover. This embodiment also makes it possible to fir; firmly in the container a heating device which always lies below the liquid level in spite of the rotation of the container.

Other characteristic features of the invention, and the advantages thereof, will appear from the following description of a preferred form of the new washing machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a side view, partly in section, of the washing machine;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the washing machine;

PEG. 3 is a plan view of the washing machine, with part of the top broken away and showing especially the design of the container;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the container with a heating device and two impeller means;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the container along line V-V of FIG. 4;

H6. 6 is a sectional view of a modified form of the container with a heating device and impeller means;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the container along line VIIVlI of FIG. 6; and

FIGS. 8l() are sectional views of a container with impeller means of somewhat modified shape and location.

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, the washing machine there shown comprises a container 1 for clothes to be washed and washing liquid. This container 1 is made of two conically truncated mantles welded together along their large base edges. Centrally fitted in its bottom 2 is a rotary shaft 3 which is inclined at an angle of 45 to a horizontal plane and which, as for that part of it situated within the container, is solid and constitutes a point of attachment for a perforated intermediate bottom 4. The latter lies at an angle of to a horizontal plane and thus inclines in relation to the bottom 2 of the container 1 proper. Fitted in the space between these bottoms 2 and 4 is a heating device 5 in the form of an electric heating coil. In the wall of the container 1 are one lower and one upper impeller means 6 and 7, respectively, which both are perforated so that the washing or rinsing liquid during washing will easily pass through the clothes when they lie against the impeller means. The lower impeller means 6 extends from the center of the intermediate bottom 4 up toward the center of the container 1, is substantially in parallel with a generatrix, and is adjacent the container wall. Its symmetrical plane is inclined at an angle of about 45 in relation to the axis of rotation 3 of the container 1. The upper impeller means 7 is inserted in the container 1 substantially diametrically opposite the lower impeller means 6 and extends approximately from the middle of the container up to its upper edge, its symmetrical plane being inclined to the axis of rotation of the container 1 at an angle of somewhat more than 45.

Centrally at its upper end, the container 1 forms a circular refilling opening 8. This opening is covered by a circular cover 9, which may be of transparent plastic and tits loosely and centrally in relation to the refilling opening 8 and rotates with the container 1. Centrally secured in the cover 9 is a pipe piece 10 which widens conically on the outside of the cover 9 in order to cooperate with a lid 12. This lid is hinged at its upper portion to the outer casing 11 of the washing machine by hinges 12a and has a transparent window for observation of the washing process. More particularly, the lid 12 is provided with a conical member 14 open at the bottom and loosely enclosing the pipe piece 10 but which, when the lid 12 is lifted, retains the conically widened outer portion of the pipe piece 10 and therefore the loose cover 9. Arranged on the lid 12 is also a liquid feed pipe 15 passing through an opening in the conical upper part of the member 14 and extending down into the pipe piece 10 of the cover 9. When rinsing the clothes, it is thus possible to supply water continuously to the container 1. This feed pipe 15 is supplied with liquid from a feed tube 16 (FIG. 2) secured to the outer casing 11 of the washing machine and connected to pipe 15 at the upper edge portion of the lid 12, that is, on its hinge axis. The lid 12 is also provided with a handle 1'7.

At the lowermost part of the container 1, one end of a liquid discharge tube or hose 18 is connected to an outlet pipe 19 leading from the container and turnable in a bearing. The other end of the discharge tube 18, which is flexible, is connected to a discharge pipe 20 (FIG. 2) which is secured to the outer casing 11 of the washing machine and is closable at its outermost part by means of a draw-off valve 21. The latter is joined to a vertical ascending pipe 22 which at its upper part is formed as a transparent liquid level pipe 23 and ends in an upwardly open waste water channel 24 arranged along part of the smallest peripheral edge of the upper conical mantle of the container 1, which edge for conveying waste liquid is provided with a downwardly bent projection 25. During the washing proper and when removing the washed clothes, waste liquid is caught in the channel 24. The outer end of the discharge tube 18 is also joined to a vertical pipe 26 (FIG. 2) in which is inserted a thermosensitive member 27 for a thermostat for the heating device 5 which controls the heating of the washing liquid to a suitable washing temperature for various kinds of clothes to be washed. The sensitive member 27 actuates the thermostat at different temperatures determined by ad justing the thermostat by means of a heat control knob 28 which, through a control line 29, is in communication with the sensitive member 27. A second knob 47 actuates a switch for the driving motor of the container 1.

At the lower end of the container 1 extends the axis of rotation or shaft 3 which is rigidly joined to the container 1 and which, outside the container 1, is hollow and in that part closest to the container 1 is provided with a lateral opening 30 for an electric cable 31 to the heating device 5. At its inner end, cable 31 has two branches 31a connected to heating element 5 by terminals extending through and sealed in the lower portion of container 1. From its branches 31a, electric cable 31 extends along the outer surface of bottom 2, through the lateral opening 30 and the hollow outer end 33 of the shaft 3, and to a junction box 32 on the outer casing 11 of the washing machine. The outer end portion 33 of the shaft 3 is rotatably mounted in a bearing box 34 which, by upper and lower iron clamps 35 and 36, is securely fixed to a frame 37 in the outer casing 11 of the washing machine.

The shaft 3 is driven by a first chain wheel 38 secured on the outer end 33 of the shaft and which, by a drive chain 39, is driven by a second chain wheel 40. The

latter is secured on shaft 41 of a driving mechanism 42 which, via a belt 43, is driven by an electric motor 44. The driving mechanism 42 is exactly like that used to rolate the agitator back and forth in agitator washing machines. This mechanism 42, as conventionally constructed, comprises a gear box containing a worm gear, a crank movement and a rack. The shaft 41 of the driving mechanism 42 is given an angular speed that varies roughly according to a sine curve, whereby the container 1 has a quiet pendulum rotation, with no strokes in the turning positions, and with a frequency of -75 pendulum strokes per minute. The shaft 3 is brought into periodic alternate rotation in opposite directions within an angle of turning below 360, preferably about 200, by operation of the driving mechanism 42. Even greater angular turnings than 360 are possible.

Since the container 1 thus rotates back and forth, the electric cable 31 as well as the discharge tube 18 must be made long enough so that their ends secured to the container can accompany it in its rotational movements without loosening from their fixed connections outside the container 1 and without being worn off or broken. It will be understood that the hose 18 and the outlet pipe 19, which is turnable relative to container 1, form flexible means secured to the container and through which the liquid outlet of the container is connected to discharge pipe 20. Also, the cable 31 and its terminals form a flexible operative connection through the container wall to the heating device 5.

A modification of rotary container 1 is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. This dilfers from that shown in FIGS. 1-5 only in that the container 1 instead of being provided with an inside intermediate bottom and two impeller means is provided with only one impeller means in the form of a projection 45 with perforated wall, enclosing the heating device 5a. The projection 45 extends from the center of the closed end of the container 1 radially outward toward the container wall and is parallel-trapeziform in section. Joined to the top surface of the projection 45 is a second impeller means in the form of a vane 46. In this embodiment of the washing machine, the container 1 should be given a pendulum movement within an angle of about 270 but no more than 360". As the clothes are conveyed by the projection 45 and the vane 46 at every pendulum rotation, the clothes are thus given a lifting or falling motion to the right or left, which motion gives a very good washing effect.

When providing the washing machine according to FIGS. 1-5 with two diametrically opposite impeller means, the pendulum rotation need have any greater angle than 180 to produce a maximum lifting of the clothes. The intermediate bottom 4, having a inclination to a horizontal plane, contributes through its inclined position to obtaining the desired lifting and falling motion of the clothes. The tendency of the clothes to tangle through twisting caused by the rotation of the clothes, as occurs in conventional rotary washing machines, is thus avoided to a very high degree, which is an important advantage of the washing machine made according to the present invention. Another obvious advantage is that the rising of the clothes can be carried out in the container 1 during continuous supply of pure rinsing water.

Another modification of the rotary container is shown in FIGS. 840. This differs from that described in FIGS. 1-5 primarily in that one impeller means 6a is inclined at an angle of about 10 in relation to the axis of rotation of the container, and the other impeller means 7a is inclined in relation to the axis of rotation of the container at an angle of about 45. With an angular turning of of the pendulum rotation, a bottom passage or space free from impeller means is obtained in the container 1 for the clothes, even when the other impeller means 7a is in bottom position. This increases the washing effect as compared with that obtained with the location of the impeller means 6-7 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, because of a very eflicient tumbling of the clothes.

The invention contemplates containers with a horizontal as Well as an inclined axis. Instead of using a motor-driven agitator unit as driving means for the container, the container may be driven by a piston motor device operated by vacuum or compressed air.

I claim:

1. In a clothes washing machine, the combination of a stationary frame, an imperforate container mounted on the frame for rotation about an axis and adapted to receive washing liquid and clothes to be washed, the container having an outlet for the liquid, driving mechanism for rotating the container alternately in first one direction and then the opposite direction about its rotation axis through an angle less than 360, a liquid discharge pipe secured to the frame, flexible means secured to the container and through which said liquid outlet is connected to the liquid discharge pipe, said flexible means accommodating said alternating rotation of the container, the rotation axis of the container being inclined at an acute angle to a horizontal plane, the container being rotatably mounted at its lower end and having an open upper end forming a refilling opening, said opening being on the rotation axis, a self-centering removable cover for said opening, a tubular member secured to the cover and extending therethrough for introducing liquid into the container, the outer portion of the tubular member flaring outwardly from the cover, said frame including a casing around the container and having an opening aligned with said refilling opening, and a lid pivotally mounted on the casing and swingable to positions for opening and closing said casing opening, the lid having a conical part in which said flaring outer portion of the tubular member is fitted with a clearance, whereby swinging of the lid to its open position removes said cover from the refilling opening.

2. The combination according to claim 1, comprising also a liquid inlet pipe secured to the lid and opening at one end into said conical part.

3. The combination according to claim 1, comprising also a liquid inlet pipe secured to the lid and opening at one end into said conical part, and a feed pipe secured to the casing and connected to the other end of the inlet pipe on the pivotal axis of the lid.

4. In a clothes washing machine, the combination of a stationary frame, an imperforate container mounted on the frame for rotation about an axis and adapted to receive washing liquid and clothes to be washed, the container having an outlet for the liquid, driving mechanism for rotating the container alternately in first one direction and then the opposite direction about its rotation axis through an angle less than 360", a liquid discharge pipe secured to the frame, flexible means secured to the container and through which said liquid outlet is connected to the liquid discharge pipe, said flexible means accommodating said alternating rotation of the container, a pipe ascending from said discharge pipe, the container having a refilling opening at one end, and a waste liquid channel extending along an edge portion of the refilling opening and communicating with said ascending pipe at its upper end.

5. The combination according to claim 4, in which said ascending pipe is a liquid level pipe for indicating the liquid level in the container.

6. In a clothes washing machine, the combination of a stationary frame, an imperforate container mounted on the frame for rotation about an axis which is inclined at an angle of about 45 to a horizontal plane, the container being adapted to receive Washing liquid and clothcs and having an outlet for the liquid, the container being formed by two hollow truncated conical mantles having their larger base ends facing each other and having their axes disposed on said rotation axis, motor driven driving mechanism for rotating the container alternately in first one direction and then the opposite direction about its rotation axis through an angle less than 360 but at least 180, a liquid discharge pipe secured to the frame, a liquid-tight flow connection through which said liquid outlet is connected to the liquid discharge pipe and which includes a flexible member for accommodating said rotation of the container, and impeller means in the container rotatable therewith and including an element protruding inwardly from the container wall in position to impel the clothes during said rotation, said impeller means including two substantially diametrically opposed impellers extending along the container wall, one of said impellers being a lower impeller extending substantially from the container bottom and terminating near said larger base ends of the mantles, the other impeller being an upper impeller extending substantially from the upper end of the container and terminating near said larger base ends.

7. In a clothes washing machine, the combination of a stationary frame, an imperforate container mounted on the frame for rotation about an axis which is inclined at an angle of about 45 to a horizontal plane, the container being adapted to receive washing liquid and clothes and having an outlet for the liquid, the container being formed by two hollow truncated conical mantles having their larger base ends facing each other and having their axes disposed on said rotation axis, motor driven driving mechanism for rotating the container alternately in first one direction and then the opposite direction about its rotation axis through an angle less than 360 but at least 180, a liquid discharge pipe secured to the frame, a liquid-tight flow connection through which said liquid outlet is connected to the liquid discharge pipe and which includes a flexible member for accommodating said rotation of the container, and impeller means in the container rotatable therewith and including an element protruding inwardly from the container Wall in position to impel the clothes during said rotation, said impeller means including two substantially diametrically opposed impellers extending along the container Wall, one of said impellers being a lower impeller extending substantially from the container bottom and terminating near said larger base ends of the mantles, the other impeller being an upper impeller extending substantially from the upper end of the container and terminating near said larger base ends, said impellers being inclined at an angle of about 45 to said rotation axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 166,579 Atwood Aug. 10, 1875 756,856 Hoiiken Apr. 12, 1904 953,078 Whitcomb Mar. 29, 1910 1,399,800 Russell Dec. 13, 1921 1,679,798 Swensen Aug. 7, 1928 1,865,867 Lee July 5, 1932 2,248,007 Michaels July 1, 1941 2,287,288 Bonsiakos June 23, 1942 2,502,053 Manley Mar. 28, 1950 2,615,320 Belaiefi Oct. 28, 1952 2,629,245 Chamberlin Feb. 24, 1953 2,637,189 Douglas May 5, 1953 2,723,550 Belaietf Nov. 15, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 327,248 Switzerland Mar. 15, 1958 364,347 Great Britain Jan. 7, 1932 

1. IN A CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE, THE COMBINATION OF A STATIONARY FRAME, AN IMPERFORATE CONTAINER MOUNTED ON THE FRAME FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE WASHING LIQUID AND CLOTHES TO BE WASHED, THE CONTAINER HAVING AN OUTLET FOR THE LIQUID, DRIVING MECHANISM FOR ROTATING THE CONTAINER ALTERNATELY IN FIRST ONE DIRECTION AND THEN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ABOUT ITS ROTATION AXIS THROUGH AN ANGLE LESS THAN 360*, A LIQUID DISCHARGE PIPE SECURED TO THE FRAME, FLEXIBLE MEANS SECURED TO THE CONTAINER AND THROUGH WHICH SAID LIQUID OUTLET IS CONNECTED TO THE LIQUID DISCHARGE PIPE, SAID FLEXIBLE MEANS ACCOMMODATING SAID ALTERNATING ROTATION OF THE CONTAINER, THE ROTATION AXIS OF THE CONTAINER BEING INCLINED AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO A HORIZONTAL PLANE, THE CONTAINER BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED AT ITS LOWER END AND HAVING AN OPEN UPPER END FORMING A REFILLING OPENING, SAID OPENING BEING ON THE ROTATION AXIS, A SELF-CENTERING REMOVABLE COVER FOR SAID OPENING, A TUBULAR MEMBER SECURED TO THE COVER AND EXTENDING THERETHROUGH FOR INTRODUCING LIQUID INTO THE CONTAINER, THE OUTER PORTION OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER FLARING OUTWARDLY FROM THE COVER, SAID FRAME INCLUDING A CASING AROUND THE CONTAINER AND HAVING AN OPENING ALIGNED WITH SAID REFILLING OPENING, AND A LID PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE CASING AND SWINGABLE TO POSITIONS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING SAID CASING OPENING, THE LID HAVING A CONICAL PART IN WHICH SAID FLARING OUTER PORTION OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER IS FITTED WITH A CLEARANCE, WHEREBY SWINGING OF THE LID TO ITS OPEN POSITION REMOVES SAID COVER FROM THE REFILLING OPENING. 